The City of Toronto took a further step, on November 25, towards the possible construction of “plexes” in neighborhoods where their construction is not currently possible, ie nearly 75% of the metropolitan area. The Housing and Planning Committee voted in favor of holding additional public consultations and a more in-depth study of the file, the results of which will lead to proposals for the committee in the spring of 2022.
If the proposals receive the green light from the committee in 2022, they will go to a vote in city council. The objective of the document presented by city planners to committee members Thursday afternoon is to facilitate the construction of duplexes, triplexes and quadruplexes in all neighborhoods.
The committee’s decision taken Thursday is one more step towards creating a “missing environment” in Canada’s economic capital, currently struggling with a housing crisis. Plexes would be an additional option to high-rise apartment buildings and single-family homes, which are ubiquitous.
Personal stake
“I would not be able, today, to buy the house in which I live”, underlined during the meeting of November 25 the councilor Ana Bailão, who represents a district to the west of the city center and who chairs the housing committee. The average price of a home hit $ 1.2 million in Toronto in November, almost double the average price of a Montreal home. Single-family homes represent 24% of Toronto’s housing stock, compared to 7% in Montreal.
Committee members, including Ana Bailão, commented on the matter with passion during the meeting. “If we claim to be a city that promotes diversity and possibilities, we cannot have complete neighborhoods that exclude people who cannot afford a house worth several million dollars,” said the advisor.
“The forces of the status quo, those who want to close the door behind them after establishing themselves in an area, that mentality says ‘no’ to a generation that has hope, that is optimistic and that deeply wants to stay in Toronto. Said Councilor Brad Bradford.
There is resistance to change that has come from both counselors and residents in the past. They sought to limit the construction of “plexes” claiming that they would change the “character” of the neighborhood, a term which, although often used in Toronto, is poorly defined according to the chief town planner, Gregg Lintern.
The committee’s decision increases the chances of seeing “plexes” being erected in the Queen City. But statistics presented by Gregg Lintern’s team as part of their presentation to the committee Thursday afternoon confirm that enthusiasm for the “missing midfielder” is still muted in Toronto. Between 2010 and 2020, only 226 owners asked the City to allow them to modify their home so as to build a “plex” or add a unit to an existing building.